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Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. What to do if your dog eats it

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During Easter this weekend, you may have more chocolate laying around your house than usual, and that means it is of the utmost importance to keep it away from your dogs. Chocolate is poisonous for dogs.

According to an article from Cornell University’s Riney Canine Health Centerwhen your dog ingests chocolate, they experience toxicity. Here is everything you need to know about what happens when your dog eats chocolate and what you should do next.

What should I do if my dog eats chocolate?

You should call an emergency veterinarian immediately.

Chocolate is slow to absorb in the body, so you may not notice symptoms until 2 to 12 hours after the dog ate it, but it is still crucial for their survival that you call the vet as soon as you notice.

The first things a vet will ask you is how much chocolate your dog ate and what type of chocolate. This is important information that will help the vet determine the level of toxicity and know how to treat your dog.

The 24/7 Pet Poison Helpline or the 24/7 ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center numbers below are great resources, but ultimately you may need to get your dog to a vet as soon as possible. Most dogs that ingest chocolate require hospitalization, so calling a local emergency vet might save some time.

“The outcome of chocolate toxicity depends on the amount and type ingested, the dog’s weight and how promptly treatment was initiated,” Aly Cohena veterinarian for the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center, said in the article. “Delaying treatment from the time a dog eats chocolate can worsen the associated clinical signs and prognosis.”

Are certain types of chocolate more toxic to dogs than others?

Yes, but it is important to keep in mind even milder chocolates can still be dangerous for dogs to ingest.

The most dangerous ingredients in chocolate are caffeine and theobromine, which affect the nervous system and heart, cause dehydration and could even lead the dog to develop gastrointestinal distress, Cohen said.

Cohen said that while all chocolate is made up of different levels of caffeine and theobromine, the general rule is that “the darker the chocolate, the higher the risk to dogs.”

Cocoa powder is the most dangerous with the highest chance of toxicity, followed by unsweetened (baker’s) chocolate, semisweet and sweet dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa bean hulls, but any of these chocolates can still be unsafe for a dog.

“One ounce of milk chocolate per pound of a dog’s body weight can be deadly compared to unsweetened baking chocolate, where as little as 0.1 ounces per pound of a dog’s body weight may be lethal,” Cohen said. “For this reason, even ingesting small amounts, especially in a smaller dog, should be treated as an emergency.”

What are the symptoms of my dog eatig chocolate?

Symptoms of chocolate toxicity can include:

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Increased thirst and urination
  • Restlessness
  • Fast breathing
  • Increased heart rate or irregular heart rhythm
  • Hyperexcitability
  • Tremors
  • Incoordination
  • Seizures
  • Fever
  • Coma

How do veterinarians treat dogs with chocolate toxicity?

If there are any life-threatening signs, those will be treated first. Beyond that, the vet will have to flush the chocolate out of their system. Treatment for chocolate toxicity can include any of the following:

  • Induced vomiting
  • Administering oral activated charcoal
  • Antinausea medications and GI protectants
  • IV fluids
  • Medications to stop tremors
  • Medications to prevent irregular heart rhythms
  • Medication to stop seizures
  • Urinary catheterization or frequent walking to encourage urination

24/7 Poison helplines for pets

Emergency vets in Central Indiana

Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.

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